AI Insight
This controlled study examined how AI-generated second opinions affect postgraduate vocal accompaniment students' confidence, anxiety, and decision-making. Students receiving AI feedback showed significantly higher collaborative self-efficacy and lower music performance anxiety compared to controls, but no changes in decision-making styles were observed. The findings suggest AI tools can provide psychological benefits in artistic training while preserving human interpretative autonomy.
Why it matters
The research demonstrates that AI can serve as an effective supportive tool in specialized music education, reducing performance-related stress while maintaining students' independent artistic judgment. These findings have implications for integrating AI assistants in creative and performing arts education without compromising human agency in artistic interpretation.
Understand the Science
BackgroundArtificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into higher education, yet empirical evidence remains limited on how AI-generated “second opinions” influence psychological and cognitive outcomes in artistic training contexts.ObjectiveThis study investigates the effects of AI “second opinions” on collaborative self-efficacy, music performance anxiety, and decision-making style among postgraduate students specialising in vocal accompaniment.ResultsThe experimental group showed significantly higher posttest self-efficacy than the control group (p = 0.026) and a significant within-group increase (p = 0.007). Music performance anxiety was significantly lower in the experimental group compared with the control group (p = 0.013), with a significant within-group reduction (p = 0.007). No significant differences were found in decision-making style between or within groups (all p > 0.05).ConclusionAI “second opinions” can effectively enhance self-efficacy and reduce performance anxiety in postgraduate music accompaniment training. However, they do not significantly alter decision-making styles in the short term, suggesting that AI primarily functions as an augmentative tool supporting human interpretative agency rather than reshaping cognitive patterns.